Android music player to connect to DLNA server and stream to Sonos?

I am undecided between a Sonos and a Chromecast audio system. I will set up a DLNA server (probably on a Synology NAS, but where the server is shouldn't matter) with my music collection.

I would like an Android app for my phone, to connect to the DLNA server, and stream the music to Sonos. What apps can do that? Foobar, VLC and MediaMonkey can connect to DLNA but I'm not sure they can stream to Sonos.

I understand I can index my music collection in Sonos but I might hit the 65k song limit - plus a separate app would probably be more flexible. By the way. can I try the Sonos app to see how it organises music in the library even if I don't have a Sonos speaker yet?

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Sonos doesn't formally support DLNA, though in some cases you might be able to get a third party control point to send a file to a player. Even then, sending an entire album or playlist could well not work. The official solution for an external server is to use Plex. See https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3405

And no, in the absence of a player you can't see how the Sonos app organises music, because the app doesn't do so. The players each host a copy of the library index. The controller app in fact stores next to nothing apart from the identity of the associated system and a few local settings. It fetches the index on the fly.

Unfortunately Plex is not an option because, like I said, it doesn't let you import playlists - and my large music collection would be unmanageable without the existing playlists.

So the only way would be to index my music library within Sonos, and hope that I either don't breach the 65k limit, or that Sonos will remove it. By the way, has there been any indication if Sonos will do so (remove the 65k limit)?

What are your thoughts on the Sonos app as a music player, vs other, more widespread Android players, like VLC, MediaMonkey, Poweramp, Foobar, etc?

I am really surprised that Sonos doesn't support DLNA; this alone might probably push me towards a Chromecast system, to be honest.

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)

Thanks. Does this mean that
1) I add Subsonic as a source in Sonos, then play music using the Sonos app on my phone?
or
2) I'd use one of the Android apps listed on the Sonos website: http://www.subsonic.org/pages/apps.jsp to play the music?

Also, more generally, in a Sonos system, is there ever an Android app other than the Sonos app which can play music?

So the only way would be to index my music library within Sonos, and hope that I either don't breach the 65k limit, or that Sonos will remove it. By the way, has there been any indication if Sonos will do so (remove the 65k limit)?

In fact there's a second limit, based on the total amount of metadata. This can cut in before the hard 65k track limit is reached. It can be mitigated to a degree by reducing filename length, say to 1.FLAC, 2.MP3, etc..

Over the years Sonos worked hard to inch the limit up to 65k. It's constrained by the amount of memory in the oldest player models. We're told nothing more can be done, short of obsoleting old models or using an external server (i.e. Plex).

Although there have been periodic complaints about the library limit, the total proportion of customers with local music libraries is small and being diluted fast by new users using only streaming services, and moreover the proportion of library users with very large libraries is pretty tiny.

What are your thoughts on the Sonos app as a music player, vs other, more widespread Android players, like VLC, MediaMonkey, Poweramp, Foobar, etc?

The app isn't a music player, it's a remote control. I don't really have a view. Its presentation has some similarities to media players.

YetAnotherLondonder wrote:

Also, more generally, in a Sonos system, is there ever an Android app other than the Sonos app which can play music?

Sure. Spotify and Google Play Music for example. They can command Sonos players directly.

Thanks. Does this mean that1) I add Subsonic as a source in Sonos, then play music using the Sonos app on my phone?

... and the Desktop Controller respectively.

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»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)